All our corporate business having been concluded Saturday night, I gave myself Sunday to explore Arizona a little bit. I checked out of the Biltmore, rented a car and drove north out of Phoenix on Interstate 17.

Heading north, I gained elevation, first 2000 feet, then 3000 feet, and the temperatures dropped from the 90s to the 80s. I got off the interstate at State Highway 69 and drove toward Prescott Valley,gaining elevation to 4000 and then 5000 feet. In Prescott Valley, I cut across to AZ 89A and up Mingus Mountain, eventually peaking at around 7100 feet (temperatures in the low 70s). The town of Jerome (Geronomo?) precipitously clings to the north side of the mountain, offering spectacular views. I recommend a visit to Jerome if you're ever in the area.

Heading down off the mountain, I could see the Red Rocks country of Sedona and environs ahead. Sedona is probably overdeveloped and overrun, but once there I found the natural setting beautiful, if one can ignore all the overhead electric wires. The picture above was taken in Sedona.

From Sedona, I headed back toward I-17 on AZ-179, and eventually back to Phoenix before the sun set. I'm holed up here tonight in a Holiday Inn before my plane flight back to Atlanta tomorrow.

I took a lot of pictures, beyond the one above, but for some reason Blogger isn't letting me upload them right now, so they'll have to wait until later in the week.